Steam-heating system



Mar. 27-, 1923. H F

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

BENSON.

FILED FEB. 2, 1921- E] ventoz M 515 QCtozwe Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. BENSON, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, TO VJORTHINGTON PUMP AND MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

Application filed February 2, 1921.

T all 10 [mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. Benson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Heat ing Systems, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

0 and accumulating condensate are so combined with boiler feeding means that the amount of accumulated condensate automatically controls the amount of such fluid returned to theboiler by the boiler feeding means.

A further feature is the utilization of the accumulated condensate as a motive fluid for withdrawing air, vapors and condensate from the return lines of a steam heating system, the amount of condensate used as a motive fluid being maintained constant by automatic regulating means functioning to prevent withdrawal of accumulated condensate beyond the point where the amount remaining for use as motive fluid would be insufficient, and which regulating means has the added function of returning to the boiler feed device all accumulated condensate in excess of that required as motive fluid.

Another advantage aiforded by the present invention is the combination, in a single unit, of a vacuum pump and a boiler feed pump; and a special object of such combination resides in the use of a single driven means operating/both the vacuum and boiler feed pumps thereby making a unit which is particularly compact and requires a minimum space. i i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a. side elevation showing an embodiment of the present invention, and

Serial No. 441,873.

having parts broken away toreveal certain details.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical section of the pumping unit longitudinally 'of the driven shaft.

Fig. 3 is a developed plan section of the vanes of the motive fluid impeller of the vacuum pump.

Fig. 4 is a developed plan section of the vanes of the ejecting impeller of the vacuum pump.

Referring to the drawings:

As herein illustrated for the purpose of disclosing the invention, A is a drum divided by a partition 1 into a vacuum receiver B and an atmospheric chamber C which are associated, in the manner hereinafter described, with a pumping unit I) having driving means E such as an electric motor or an equivalent prime'mover. The return lines from a steam heating system, not shown, are connected into the vacuum receiving chamber B by a T, 2 and nipple 3, or other suitable fittings. Fluid level indicating gauges i and 5 of the well-known type are provided for the vacuum receiver B and the atmospheric chamber C, respectively.

Secured to the partition 1 on the atmospheric chamber side is a bracket 6 which pivotally mounts one end of a vertically swinging arm 7 carrying a float 8 at the free end, said arm being connected inter ,mediate its ends with the reciprocating stem linkage 9 of a valve 10 which controls a passage 11 opening into the vacuum re- 'ceiver so that when the accumulated fluid in the atmospheric chamber C reaches a predetermined level the valve 10' opens to permit transference of the excess fluid into the vacuum receiver B. A pipe 12 at the top of the atmospheric chamber discharges uncondensed vapors to the atmosphere.

The pumping unit D is a condenser or aspirator of the type adapted to mechanically entrain the fluid acted upon which, in this instance, is the air and vapors issuing from the return of the steam heating system.

This pumping unit D comprises a casing formed of three parts, 13, let and 15, flanged, as indicated, for uniting the same in assembled relation, as shown.

The part 13 communicates with motive,

fluid inlet 16 connected into the bottom of the atmospheric chamber B and which feeds motive fluid from the chamber B to the conically flared outlet 17, the interior surface of which provides guiding means for rojected motive fluid while the outer sur- 'ace distributes fluid to be entrained. The

vacuum chamber 18 is formed by the part 13 of the casing and connects at the top with the passage 19 entering the top of the vacuum receiver B and thus provides means for withdrawing air and uncondensed vapors or fluids from the vacuum receiver so as to maintain the required vacuum therein.

The part 14 of the casing forms: the dis charge or pressure chamber of the vacuum pumping side of the pumping unit D and has an outlet 20 connected. by a passa e 21 to discharge into the end of the, atmospheric chamber B against a baffle plate 22 and above the fluid level therein,air and noncondensible vapors passing off through the pipe 12 opening to the atmosphere.

A sleeve bearing 28 in part 29 and a sleeve and thrust bearing 2-7 mount a shaft 26, the end thrust of the shaft 26 being taken by the thrust bearing 27. Stufling boxes 241 and in the parts 141- and 15 respectively form suitable packing means for preventing undue leakage of fluid from the discharge chamber 14:, and for packing the intake chamber of the boiler feed pump from atmosphere. Bushing 23 in part 13 prevents undue leakage from the pressure chamber 41 of the boiler feed pump into the intake chamber of the motive fluid pump. The shaft 26 has fixed thereto an axial flow impeller 30 located in the throat of the flared motive fluid outlet 17 and provided with vanes 31 which, when developed, appear as in Figure 3. The vanes 31 are directed at an angle to the impeller axis and have thin fluid entrance edges while the sides are curved and slightly diverge toward the outlet, finally trailing oil at approximately right angles to the axis and providing constricted outlet openings 32, as compared with the entrance areas 33, which effect the discharge of a series of ribbon-like jets of motive fluid the molecules of which are influenced by the axial, tangential and radial flow components of this type of impeller and which thus causes the discharged jets of motive fluid to assume a conical spray.

Fixed to the shaft 26 and dividing the vacuum chamber 18 from the discharge or pressure chamber is a second andvlarger axial flow impeller 34 hereinafter referred to as the ejector impeller. The impeller 34: comprises a central web having a sloping curved surface high at the center on the side adjacent the impeller 30 to provide a. hub approximately the size of the hub of the impeller 30. The impeller 30 isspaced properly on the shaft 26 so that clearance is provided between the said impeller 34 and the motive fluid outlet 17 for the rib bon-like jets discharged by the vanes 31 of the impeller 30, and which jets are maintained in their projected conical series or spray on leaving the impeller 30 by the guiding action of the inner surface of the motive fluid outlet 17 and thus are directly received by the vanes 35 of the axial flow impeller 34. These vanes 35, when developed, as shown in Figure 3, are angularly directed with respect to the impeller axis and are thin at the receiving edges and have diverging walls thereby providing angularly directed converging passages which receivethe combined motive and entrained fluids to be discharged from the pumpingunit D to the atmospheric chamber C through the outlet 20 and passage 21, and said passages of the impeller 34 serve to further concentrate the entrainment of fluids entering from 19 and which have been previously entrained through being directed by the exterior flared surface of the motive fluid outlet 17 in a thin superim-' vanes of the centrifugal impeller 36 dis-,

charge into the pressure chamber 41 of the pump from which the fluid is conveyed to the boiler (not shown) through the outlet 42 which is controlled by a check valve 43 opening in the direction of flow from the pump and adapted to be closed bythe boiler pressure when no such flow exists. A pipe 44 connects the intake chamber 38 with the vacuum receiver B so as to equalize the pressure on the suction side of the boiler feed pump with that inthe vacuum receiver B.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Fluid. issuing from the return line of the steam heating system enters the vacuum chamber B through the T 2 and nipple 3 where such of the return fluid as is in liquid form remains while the uncondensed portion is withdrawn by the vacuum in the chamber 18 of the pumping unit and is en trained in the jets of motive fluid discharged from the impeller 30, the combined 'motive and entrained fluids being received by the impeller 34 and discharged through the outlet 20 and passage 21 to the atmospheric chamber Cwhere'the condensate, resulting from. entrainment of the vapors from the vacuum chamber, is accumulated, the non-condensible vapors passing off through the pipe 12 to the atmosphere.

This condensate accumulating in the atmospheric chamber C is conveyed as motive fluid through the passage 16 to the motive fluid impeller and is thus used over and over again.

When the accumulation of condensate in the atmospheric chamber C is sulflcient to raise the ball float 8 to a predetermined level and open valve 10 the excess condensate, over the amount required to be retained as motive fluid, flows through passage 11 to the vacuum receive B from which it is carried by the passage to the suction chamber 38 of the boiler feed pump. The boiler feed pump overcoming the boiler pressure forces open the check valve 43 and pumps the condensate into the boiler.

However, it may happen that the condensate in the vacuum receiver B is below the level of the passage 40 in which event the boiler pressure maintains the check valve 43 closed and the centrifugal impeller 36 temporarily revolves in air or vapor with substantially no power consumption, but as soon as suflicient condensate collects in the vacuum receiver B to supply the pump it will again feed the condensate to the boiler; thus, it will be apparent that automatic regulation of'the' boiler feed is an inherent feature of the apparatus.

I claim:

1. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser utilizing accumulated condensate from said atmospheric chamber as a condensing medium and withdrawing air and uncondensed vapors from said vacuum receiver and discharging the combined fluids to the atmospheric chamber for accumulation of the condensate and release of non-condensible fluids, and means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver.

2. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, and a condenser or aspirator drawing motive fluid from said atmospheric chamber and receiving uncondensed fluid from said vacuum chamber for entrainment by the motive fluid and including rotary ejector means receiving the combined motive and em trained fluids and discharging to said atmospheric chamber for accumulating the condensate and releasing non-condensible fluids.

3. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser or aspirator drawing motive fluid from said atmospheric chamber and receivlng uncondensed fluid from said vacuum chamber for entrainment by the motive fluid, said condenser or aspirator including ejector means receiving the combined motive and entrained fluids and discharging to said atmospheric chamber for accumulating the condensate and releasing non-condensible fluids, means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver, and boiler feed means supplied from said vacuum receiver.

4. In combination with a steam heatingsystem, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser or aspirator drawing motive fluid from said atmospheric chamber and receiving uncondensed fluid from said vacuum chamber for entrainment by the motive fluid, said condenser or aspirator including ejector means receiving the combined motive and entrained fluids and discharging to said atmospheric chamber for accumulating the condensate and releasing non-condensible fluids, automatic means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver, and boiler feed means supplied from said receiver.

5. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser or aspirator drawing motive fluid from said atmospheric chamber and receiving uncondensed fluid from said vacuum chamber for entrainment by the motive fiui-d, said condenser or aspirator including ejector means receiving the combined motive and en trained fluids and discharging to said atmospheric chamber for accumulating the condensate and releasing non-condensible fluids, means controlled by the fluid level in said atmospheric chamber for returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum re ceiver, and boiler feed means supplied from said receiver.

6. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser utilizing accumulated condensate from said atmospheric chamber as a condensing medium and withdrawing air and uncondensed vapors from said vacuum receiver and discharging the combined fluids to the atmospheric chamber for accumulation of the condensate and release of non-condensible fluids, means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver, a boiler feed pump drawing condensate from the vacuum receiver and delivering against boiler pressure, and means preventing the boiler pressure backing up to the pump when the pump ceases to deliver condensate.

7. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser utilizing accumulated condensate from said atmospheric chamber as a condensing medium and withdrawing air and uncondensed vapors from said vacuum receiver and discharging the combined fluids to the atmospheric chamber for accumulation of the condensate and release of non-'condensible fluids, means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver, a boiler feed pump drawing condensate from the vacuum receiver and delivering against boiler pressure, and means preventing the boiler pressure backing up to the pump when the pump ceases to deliver condensate due to a temporarily exhausted condensate supply. I

S. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser utilizing accumulated condensate from said atmospheric chamber as a condensing medium and withdrawing air and uncondensed vapors from said vacuum receiver and discharging the combined fluids to the atmospheric chamber for accui'nulation of the condensate and release of non-condensible fluids, means returning accumulated condensate to the vacuum receiver, a boiler feed pump drawing condensate from the vacuum receiver and delivering against boiler pressure, and a check valve on the pump discharge to prevent the boiler pressure backing up to the pump when the pump ceases to deliver condensate due to a temporarily exhausted supply.

9. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiverfor the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a condenser or aspirator comp-rising axial flow means receiving motive fluid in the form of accumulated condensate from said atmospheric chamber, means admitting fluid to be entrained from said vacuum receiver, ejector means assisting entrance of the fluid to be entrained and receiving and discharging the combined motive and entrained fluids to said atmospheric chamber, and means actuated by the fluid level in said atmospheric chamber for returning to the vacuum chamber the accumulated condensate in excess of that required for motive fluid.

10. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system re turn, an atmospheric chamber, a rotary condenser including a casing, a shaft therein mounting motive fluid and ejecting impellers, and a boiler feed pump combined with said casing and operated by said shaft and returning condensate from the vacuum receiver to the boiler.

11. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, a rotary condenser including a casing, a shaft therein mounting motive fluid and ejecting impellers, and a centrifugal boiler feed pump combined with said casing and operated by said shaft and returning condensate from the vacuum receiver to the boiler.

12. In combination with a steam heating system, a vacuum receiver for the system return, an atmospheric chamber, arotary condenser including a casing, a shaft therein mounting motive fluid and ejecting impellers, a centrifugal boiler feed pump combined with said casing and operated by said shaft and returning condensate from the vacuum receiver to" the boiler, and means preventing the boiler pressure from backing up into the pump.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. BENSON. 

